Bottles is taking part in English Wine Week

From the 21st of June, Bottles will be taking part in English Wine Week, a celebration of fantastic local wine. Whilst I love English wine, I have a little issue with how we talk about it.

An English Novelty

Take a look at national news on any given week and you’ll likely find an article hosted on some local news website about the supposed “up and coming” English wine industry. I can’t count the number of times I’ve read about one vineyard or another “breaking the mould” or “proving that English wine is starting to rival the continent.”

Whilst it’s nice to see English wine getting some much-deserved attention, I can’t help but feel a little exhausted by this constant literary surprise baked into modern articles. It’s always portrayed as if English wine is still in its infancy, with every report laden with a sense of surprise that English wine even exists in the first place.

Well, I have some news for you, news people… It’s 2026. The so-called modern English wine movement has been happily fermenting away since at least the late 70s. That’s 50 years of viticultural experience, during which this country has not only made wine but also won awards for its quality.

English sparkling wine has certainly been competing favourably against big hitters like Champagne since the early 2000s. That’s right, great English sparkling wine isn’t just established, it’s old enough to vote, drive, and even order a glass of itself at the bar without being ID’d.

When introducing English Wine Week at Bottles, I want to stay away from the classic talking points of English wine being something novel and unheard of, something secretive that only the local wine snob has even heard of, let alone tried.

English Wine Week at Bottles Wine Bar

Instead, I will simply say that we will be featuring a range of amazing still and sparkling wines from Astley, Two Beacons and Hundred Hills. You’ll be able to try these magnificent wines to drink in and take away.

Also, we will be hosting a special Hundred Hills Winery Tasting on the 26th, which only has 4 tickets remaining, so if you want to try a Blanc de Blancs that I consider one of the best sparkling wines I’ve had in the last few years, make sure to grab yourself a ticket. Also, every ticket, purchased and attended, enters you into a raffle to win a trip for two to the Hundred Hills Estate to tour the vineyard and try their wines on location.

So, stop on by for the week commencing the 21st of June and enjoy some amazing English wine.